Apparatus for circulating heated cleaning solvent through engines



Nov. 11, 1969 A. MOHAMED 3,477,452

APPARATUS FOR CIRCULATING HEATED CLEANING SOLVENT wrmouen ENGINES FiledFeb. 21, 1967 INVENTOR.

AT'IORNEYS United States Patent 3,477,452 APPARATUS FOR CIRCULATINGHEATED CLEAN. ING SOLVENT THROUGH ENGINES Ahmed Mohamed, 6549 LandisAve., Carmichael, Calif. 95608 Filed Feb. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 617,531Int. Cl. B08b 3/00, 9/06 US. Cl. 134-57 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention constitutes an improvement over my Patent No.3,148,549, issued Sept. 15, 1964, the relevant disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. My previous patent disclosed anauxiliary engine and interconnected drive means for driving an engine,such as a diesel engine, while the engine was being cleaned by passingsolvent therethrough. The present invention is directed to means forcirculating the fluid and is intended for use in connection with theinvention described in the foregoing patent and with similar apparatus.

This invention comprises means for withdrawing cleaning fluid from anengine, recirculating the cleaning fluid by pumping it through a filterand a heat exchanger back to the engine which is being cleaned. Aparticularly important facet of the present invention is the provisionof a novel heat exchanger in which the heat exhausted from an auxiliaryengine which is used to rotate the engine being cleaned is used topreheat the cleaning solvent before it is passed into the engine.Another particularly important facet of the invention is the provisionof temperature control means which sense the temperature of the fluidentering the engine and control the rate of flow of exhaust through theheat exchanger to control the temperature of the cleaning fluid.

The drawing discloses the system of this invention for circulatingcleaning fluid in partial schematic form.

Frequently it is desirable to thoroughly clean the internal workingparts of internal combustion engines. Particularly this is true ofdiesel engines and stationary engines which are subject to heavy loadsfor long periods of time. After a period of running, internal combustionengines build up a layer of varnish, carbon, and gum upon the operatingparts and collect a large amount of sludge in the lower parts of theengine. Other foreign deposits, such as metal particles, and foreignparticles which enter the engine frequently collect in the crankcase orin the engine at other points. Such deposits are known to decrease theefliciency of such engines.

Such deposits may be removed from an engine, such as engine 10 which hasan oil inlet 12, a crankcase 14 with an oil outlet 16 and a carburetor18. Such undesirable deposits may be removed by circulating cleaningfluid through the engine and removing it through a conduit, such asconduit 20, which in the preferred embodiment, leads to a pump 22 whichis driven by an electric motor 24 which receives power through a switch26, and lines 28, from a battery 30 which is powered by an auxiliaryengine of the type described in my prior patent. A conduit 32 leads fromthe output of the pump through a valve 34 to filter 36 which may be of aconventional Patented Nov. 11, 1969 type. A conduit 38 leads to a heatexchanger 40 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.Conduit 42 leads to a temperature sensing device 44 and through conduit46 back to the oil inlet 12 of engine 10. Thus it is seen that acontinuous path is completed through the engine for continuouslycirculating cleaning fluid through the engine to remove varnish andsludge deposits and the like.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a heatexchanger in the conduit system and particularly a novel heat exchangerwhich uses the heat of exhausts from an auxiliary engine. Such a heatexchanger is shown at 40 and includes a liquid receptacle having inletand outlet openings which communicate with conduit 38 and with conduit42. An exhaust pipe 48 extends from the auxiliary engine 50, asdescribed in complete detail in my prior patent, through the liquidreceptacle and thence to atmosphere. Thus the exhaust from the auxiliaryengine 50 is transferred to the liquid cleaning solvent prior to itsintroduction into engine 12.

Valve means 52 may be provided in the exhaust pipe at a convenientpoint, such as is shown in the figure, and is connected by a flexibleoperating means 54 to the temperature sensing device 44. The valve means52 is controlled by the temperature sensing means 44 for controlling therate of passage of exhaust through the heat exchanger and thetemperature of the liquid in the heat exchanger.

In one embodiment of the invention, an auxiliary exhaust pipe 56 may beprovided prior to the connection of the exhaust pipe 48 with the heatexchanger. A valve 58 may be provided in the auxiliary exhaust pipewhich may be controlled by a temperature sensor 60 to decrease theamount of exhaust flowing through the heat exchanger. Valve 58 may alsobe sensitive to the pressure fluctuations resulting from operation ofvalve 52 to that excess exhaust to atmosphere.

It will be seen, then, that the apparatus described provides meansincluding a first conduit 20', a pump 22, a second conduit 32, a filter36, a third conduit 38, heat exchanger 40, and a fourth conduit 42 and46 for recirculating cleaning fluid through an engine.

A method has also been described which is carried out by the system ofthis invention. In carrying out the method, the engine is driven byauxiliary motor 50 which may be of any conventional type and the drivemeans may be of the types known in the prior art, such as thosedisclosed in my prior :patent. Simultaneously with the operation of theengine, cleaning fluid is continuously passed through the engine. Thecleaning fluid is heated prior to its entry into the engine. Thecleaning fluid is preferably heated to a temperature above 200 F. andpreferably in the range of from 200 F. to 250 F. While the method ismost advantageously carried out by the present invention, it may becarried out using other equipment. For example, a stationary engine maybe hand cranked or may be cranked by any conventional driving means. Therecirculation may be carried out by hand by catch ing the exitingcleaning fluid and pouring it in at the top of the engine.

While the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail and withreference to specific embodiments and the abstract of the disclosure isdrawn in very specific terms, it should be understood that thedisclosure and the abstract are intended to assist those skilled in theart to apply the invention and are not intended in a limiting sense. Itwill, therefore, be understood that many variations from the exactembodiment disclosed may be made without departing from the inventionhereof. For example, the provision of a filter prior to the pump wouldbe an obvious and equivalent system. Similarly, a heat exchanger couldbe placed in the system prior to the pump.

Both of these generally equivalent constructions may be used, but thepresent arrangement of components has been found most advantageous andis considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a system for circulating a cleaning fluid through a first internalcombustion engine having a crankcase provided with an oil outlet and aspaced oil inlet, said system comprising a series fluid circuitincluding:

a fluid pump having inlet and outlet sides;

a a first conduit connecting said crankcase oil outlet with the inletside of said fluid pump;

a fluid flow first control valve having inlet and outlet sides;

a second conduit connecting said outlet side of said pump With the inletside of said first valve control;

filter means having fluid inlet and outlet sides;

a third conduit connecting the outlet side of said first control valvewith the inlet side of said filter means;

a heat exchange device including a receptacle having spaced inlet andoutlet openings;

a fourth conduit connecting the outlet side of said filter means Withthe inlet opening of said heat exchange device;

a fifth conduit connecting said outlet opening of said heat exchangedevice with said first internal com- 'bustion engine oil inlet;

means for generating heat to effect operation of said heat exchangedevice, said means comprising an auxiliary internal combustion enginehaving an exhaust pipe;

said exhaust pipe extending through said receptacle and ventingexternally thereof to the atmosphere;

an exhaust gas control valve disposed in said exhaust pipe;

temperature responsive means connected on said fifth conduit andoperably connected with said exhaust gas control valve to control therate of flow of the exhaust gas from said auxiliary internal combustionengine through said exhaust P p means connecting said auxiliary internalcombustion engine in driving-relationship with respect to said firstinternal combustion engine Wherebyoperation of said auxiliary internalcombustion engine and said pump eflects continuous circulation of saidcleaning fluid through said series circuit including said first internalcombustion engine; an auxiliary exhaust gas pipe having an end thereofconnected in open communication with the first mentioned exhaust gaspipe intermediate said first internal combustion engine and saidreceptacle; valve means disposed in said auxiliary exhaust pipe; andtemperature responsive means disposed proximate said first exhaust pipeand operatively connected with said last named valvemeans to control theamount of exhaust gases flowing through said heat exchange device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,173,554 9/1939 Hill 13423 XR2,912,990 11/1959 Wilson 134-169 XR 3,148,549 9/1964 Mohamed 134166 XR3,223,150 12/1965 Tramontini 23712.3 XR

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

